I was able to attend the 143rd Annual SFFMA Training Conference and Convention hosted in Longview from June 21-26 this year. It was the first time the Pleasant Grove VFD has participated in the event. I originally planned on attending primarily to support our local host city and to get some more training at the workshops. Because of the training, the conference registration was covered by the Texas A&M Forest Service through HB2604 funding.
I quickly realized that there was more to the conference than just the workshops. There were driving competitions, a poster contest that kids had entered, a memorial service for firefighters lost over the last year, and of course the business sessions.
I also realized there was a lot to learn outside of the training workshops. I was able to make contacts from all across the state with decades of experience in all aspects of the fire service. This was truly a great opportunity to grow and become better able to serve our community and I hope to be able to take more members of our department to the conference in the future.